


Operation 'Make Sam His High School Sweetheart'

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, all bucky does is pick fights with people over sam, also imagine: studious sam who has a bullet journal and loves to doodle things, also it's most definitely a public school, imagine: bucky is the kind of emo that counted how many days fob were on hiatus, james rhodes is The Dude Everyone Wants to Be, natasha wants to fight steve and brock rumlow but she only ends up fighting one, steve just wants to be up to date with his religion class, this is set in a school yet no one seems to do anything, very very immature, yes bucky picking fights not steve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 14:45:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8671546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Bucky only has a few months left of high school to woo Sam. Everyone's in love with each other and there's too much homework.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a forewarning: I went to high school in the Real Upside-Down (Australia) so I apologise if you end up being confused about my descriptions of school (and probably the weather?). (It really shouldn't be that big of a deal though because being dead inside because of school is a universal feeling)

"I would've died for Leon Trotsky," Natasha said.

"That's. Uh. I actually don't know how to respond to that," Sam said without having looked up. He was waist-deep in English homework that was due three weeks ago.

"I get where she's coming from," Bucky chimed in. He was attempting to balance a pencil between his top lip and his nose. Because he insisted on being weird like that. He let the pencil drop. It bounced across the table then fell over the edge. "What would Lenin and the revolution have been without him?"

"Hey, here's an idea: You guys use your free period to actually do stuff. Study maybe. I don't know. Just a suggestion," Sam said.

Bucky and Natasha smirked at one another. Bucky ripped a corner off of one of Natasha's notebook pages and scribbled on it. Bucky waited to let the quiet settle once more till Sam seemed once again immersed in his work like he had been before Natasha decided to open her mouth, unsuspecting of anything shady. With the dexterity of a veteran of annoying Sam for many months in the two classes they shared together, Bucky slipped the piece of paper at the precise time for Sam's pen to run over it. It took a beat for Sam to read the message. A juvenile: ' _u r a nerd lol_.'

Sam then stood and packed his things.

"Yep. Nah. This ain't happening. Fuck you guys. I'll be back never," he said before he walked away behind an aisle of bookshelves.

"He really loves us," Bucky said fondly as he watched Sam's figure move past the bookshelves to sit down next to-- _no_.

"Nat," Bucky said, scandalised.

"Mm?" Natasha said, her pen about to touch paper with the intent to solve a math equation.

"Son of a bitch," Bucky muttered.

Natasha turned around and scanned the library until she finally caught notice of the very thing that would typically offend one Bucky Barnes. The math had to wait.

"Oh: Sam and Rhodes. They'd be perfect together. Both of them ranked equal first in two subjects and such. Don't forget equally attractive. Such an ideal duo," Natasha said. She knew how much it hurt Bucky to remind him that Sam looked better with anyone else in the world but him.

"I hate Rhodes," Bucky said. His eyes narrowed as he observed Sam and Rhodes getting their work done in silence, as if neither were aware of the other's presence. Even the lack of communication made Bucky want to throw a chair at Rhodes.

"No you don't, Bucky. You literally love Rhodes. You call him 'the better James.' You said that if you two ever got in a fight, you would lay on the ground and take it," Natasha said.

"He's a dick," Bucky argued as he scrutinised the way Rhodes' mouth moved as he silently read over some A-range essay, checking for faults in his grammar probably, and just being a good person not moving in on Sam. "Fuck that guy."

"One time, Rhodes let you cut in line at the canteen," Natasha continued.

"Unnecessary of him. There was only two of us," Bucky countered.

"And another time, he said he thought you and Steve were really good sportsmen and that he aimed to reach your skill level," Natasha said.

Sam had his head down and his wrist moved quickly as he wrote in a flurry, concentration unbroken thanks to the perfect provider of peace and absence of distraction that Rhodes was. Finally, Sam put his pen down and took a moment to read over his work. His lips quirked into a proud smirk when he decided, this was fine, and then he flicked to the next page, read the next question, and kept going.

"Oh my god, Nat," Bucky whined. He rested his head on the table, eyes still trained on beautiful Sam. "Sam's the best."

"Uh huh," Natasha said. She grew bored again. She took Bucky's unguarded phone, tapped in his code, then fucked around with it.

"One time, Sam told me I needed to get a haircut because I looked like a greasy-headed white dude, the type who thought he was Gucci but was really dollar-store value," Bucky recalled fondly.

"That's... "

"And then he once got me kicked out of math because he cut a piece of my hair off and I lashed out. It was my favourite tuft of hair."

"Sam seems to really love your hair. And 'Tuft of Hair' sounds like a Robert Frost rip-off."

"Sam said my S's don't even look like the letter 'S' but like messy number fives and it really bothers him."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to convince yourself here, but Sam most likely genuinely hates you," Natasha said. She put one of Bucky's earphones into her ear then grimaced. "God? What is that, James? Screamo?"

Bucky lifted his head and snatched his things back from her. "It's not called 'screamo.' It's post-hardcore, Nat. You're so fucking ignorant."

"Do you think if I texted Steve he'd get mad? I mean his Religion teacher is chill so it's not like he'll get in trouble," Natasha asked.

Bucky groaned. "There's thirteen minutes till lunch and we're gonna fail high school, Nat. Do whatever."

Bucky's head dropped into his arms once more.

\--

"You're such a dick, Nat," Sam said about four weeks later in the same period.

"Thank you, Sam," Natasha said, feet up on the table despite the fact that the librarian had threatened her with being kicked out of the library for the very act. Twice.

"I wrote four practice essays and you didn't even finish the text, but you still got an A," Sam argued.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Hey, Sam?"

"What? "

"You got a higher mark than me, honey. One mark higher."

"Mhmm. And it turns out I never really needed to study in the first place, nor finish the text."

Natasha kicked Bucky in the shoulder with the leg she had propped up on the table.

"You gonna tell us what you got or what?" she said.

"A fifteen," Bucky said, sounding neither wounded nor prideful.

"That's a B, dude!" Sam said jubilantly.

"It's not an A," Bucky said.

"Shut up. Watch, Bucky. You're gonna get the top mark in that chem quiz on Thursday like you always do. Now what'd Steve get?"

"Same as you I think," Bucky replied.

"Rhodes got highest in the grade I'm pretty sure," Sam mentioned.

Bucky rolled his eyes. "Of course he did. I mean, good for him. Rhodes is so... awesome." Bucky said. He shuddered.

"He is ain't he?" Sam said fondly.

"No! Yes! Shut up!"

Sam and Natasha stared at Bucky with identical looks of astonishment. Natasha then gave a knowing smirk, which earned her a kick in the shin under the table from Bucky.

"You know Rhodes thinks you're so cool?" Sam said as he finally turned to his work. This was the latest he'd ever started working in a free period. A whole eleven minutes.

"No he doesn't," Bucky said. The guilt consumed him quickly, but it wasn't enough to make him think differently about homewrecker Rhodes.

"He does."

"It's the arm. Gets all the ladies," Bucky said. He lifted his sleeve and showed his prosthetic. "And the fellas," he added, then winked at Sam.

If Sam blushing after Bucky had said that was real or imaginary, Bucky would never know. But for his own sanity, he decided it was real.

\--

"Who's better? Steve or me?" Natasha asked Bucky. The question was also open to Sam, but Sam had earphones plugged into his ears in an attempt to pretend Bucky and Natasha didn't exist.

"I feel obliged to say Steve because of the history we have. But you're you," Bucky replied. He'd read the same passage in his handout from Modern History twice and still couldn't wrap his head around what the hell happened in Laos in 1973.

"Exactly!" Natasha said, earning her a 'shh' from some other section of the library. "Exactly," she repeated quietly. "I'm me. And I'm hot. Why the hell doesn't Sharon Carter want to _do me_?"

"Woah, woah," Sam said. He took one earbud out. "You're trying to screw Sharon Carter, Nat?"

"I wish. I'm trying to get her to notice me. God. I can't believe it. Rogers is my Rhodes. My cockblocker of the century."

"Huh?" Sam said.

"Nothing, Sam!" Bucky said and kicked Natasha. "Shut up and do your fucking Ancient homework."

Sam groaned. "So much ancient history. So little time."

Natasha peered over at Sam's book. "Wasn't that due--"

"Two lessons ago? Yes. But you can't judge me seeing as you never do homework. But you don't even need to do homework because you'll get a good mark anyway." Sam narrowed his eyes at her. "God I hate you." Sam turned to Bucky. "And you. Your hair is so fucking rank, man."

Sam stood up and went to sit down next to Rhodes. Every time Sam did that it broke Bucky's heart.

"Oh my god, Nat," Bucky swooned.

"Are you gonna say something stupid?"

"Sam is _so_ in love with me."

"He is... So not. That's the opposite of what he feels for you."

"You're just bitter because Sharon Carter doesn't know who you are," Bucky spat. "Hey look! It's Parker."

There, sat at a computer, was the junior in question.

"Hey, Parker!" Bucky shouted.

Peter lifted his head at his name, looked around until he spotted Bucky then froze. He waved a stiff wave.

Bucky grinned deviously. "Come here a sec, Parker!"

"Oh, Bucky. Don't bother him," Nat groaned.

As Peter walked over to Bucky he looked around as if to catch the person prepared to jump him for leaving his computer. His teacher, probably, because Peter was afraid of adults and ensured he was on the good side of every adult he knew; an exemplar of a rule-abiding student. But he was fine. Bucky and Natasha were seniors. They could get away with virtually anything, including holding a junior hostage for questioning during their class time.

"Sit down, Parker," Bucky instructed.

Peter sat.

"Now, Parker, I'm cool right?"

"The coolest, dude. Like. Way cool. Cooler than Steve," Parker stammered.

Bucky and Natasha rolled their eyes, then in unison stated, "Duh."

"Everyone's cooler than Steve. But am I cooler than James Rhodes?" Bucky asked.

"Uh."

Natasha fake-gasped. "Hesitation."

"I'm going to ask the question one more time, Parker. And you only get one second to answer. You have to say the first thing that comes to your mind. Am I cooler than James Rhodes?" Bucky asked. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead at a rate that matched Peter's.

"Ah! No. I mean--oh my God. Dude, don't kill me."

Bucky frowned.

"Whatever, Parker. You're dismissed. Enjoy fucking geography."

Peter leapt out of his seat.

"He's such a fucking dick," Bucky said.

"He is not a dick. You're a dick. And you scared him. And you so are not cooler than Rhodes," Natasha said.

"Rhodes is a dick," Bucky said stubbornly.

Natasha lifted her brows at him. Bucky sighed.

"You're right. He's not a dick."

\--

"You know what I did last night instead of the math exercise that was due today?" Natasha asked, feet on the table as per usual. A librarian walked past and offered her a snarl rather than a reprimand. They understood now that forcing Natasha to conform to rules was a lost battle.

"Was it play that stupid game on your phone?" Bucky asked.

"Well, yeah. But Clint and I rescued not one, but two stray cats," Natasha said.

Sam sighed and dared to glance away from his work towards Natasha. "Are you sure you two didn't just steal other people's cats that happened to be enjoying a nightly stroll?"

"I was getting to that. You see, that was exactly what happened. So Clint and I spent the morning returning said cats to their owners. Which was why we were late to school."

"Just a question: do any of you guys actually do any school work?" Sam asked.

"You don't have to sit with us, Sam. You're always being a prude," Natasha said.

"Sam so does have to sit with us," Bucky argued, heart already sinking at the thought of Sam moving to sit with Rhodes--again.

"Doesn't the physics teacher give like three years' worth of homework every lesson?" Sam asked, directing this at Bucky.

Bucky took a second too long to answer, only because whenever Sam made direct eye contact with him he'd get lost in his eyes. "Um. Yes. But I never do it. I mean I did for the first three weeks of school. Then I gave up."

"I'm pretty sure the only people left in the grade who do homework is Sam, Rhodes and Steve," Natasha speculated.

"Nah. Steve texted me last night and said he finally gave up," Bucky said.

"Ah. So now it's just perfect Sam and even more perfect Rhodes. You two really ought to sit together," Natasha said, making obvious glances at Bucky's direction. Had this been an animation Bucky would have steam coming out of his ears and a face so red one would think he'd been out in the sun for too long.

"I will go sit with Rhodes," Sam challenged, but he hadn't made an effort to get up.

"Um. Can you not? Rhodes is a douche that treats people so badly," Bucky said without any conviction.

"Rhodes once saved a girl from being hit by a car between third and fourth period," Sam said.

Bucky rolled his eyes. "He so fucking didn't."

Sam took out his phone and played the footage of the aforementioned event. "Some junior skipping class caught it on camera. God. Rhodes is the fucking man.

Sam finished on that note and piled his things into his arms to go sit with Rhodes.

Bucky, for the umpteenth fucking time, dropped his head into his arms and dismally muttered, "I fucking hate James Rhodes."

\--

The next free period the three of them had together, they had a foreign object wedged at their table.

"Steve? Don't you have class?" Sam asked.

"You're in my fucking seat," Bucky said.

"Stay away from Sharon Carter," Natasha said.

All three of these greetings had been hurled at Steve all at once. Steve buried his face in his arms, looking like that odd combination of muscular and pathetic that only he could execute.

"I can't do it," he said softly. "She just stands there and talks. She changes the slide when I'm not even finished writing. I know nothing about Jewish feminism and the exam is in, like, a week."

"Today's Tuesday," Natasha said in lieu of offering her sympathy.

"Oh my god," Steve groaned, lifting his head up to display his eyes; big and bulging out of his head. "The exam's tomorrow."

"Sharon Carter likes good boys who pass exams," Natasha said, which was followed by the thud of her kicking her boots atop the table.

"Why do you always want to talk about Sharon Carter with me? Nat, why do you hate me?" Steve asked.

Steve stayed for the whole period. For the sake of Sam's sanity he did his work, whilst Bucky and Natasha watched videos on her laptop.

\--

On a Wednesday, the only four-period day in a fortnight that Bucky had, he experienced something that disrupted the equilibrium of his entire existence.

When Business class became too overbearing, Bucky feigned stomach aches to go to the bathroom, often twenty minutes before class ended, and he would stay for that entire duration. Miraculously, every time he'd skip class no one would ever catch him. Until that particular Wednesday apparently.

"Hey," came a voice from behind Bucky as he washed his hands.

When Bucky turned around to see none other than James Rhodes standing before him, it was the only time he had ever been slightly thankful for his existence. Slightly.

"Hey, man. Just me," Rhodes said, then moved past Bucky to wash his hands. Bucky stood there, baffled. He had his fist clenched by his side, his hatred for Rhodes flooding his systems in full force.

When Rhodes finally turned back around Bucky put his hands on his shoulders. It was an act that was meant to induce fear in its victim, but Rhodes seemed to soften up at the manoeuvre rather than take on a defensive stance. Then, they both spoke at once.

"Leave Sam the hell alone."

"You wanna go out some time?"

Then, again, both of them at once said: "What?"

Bucky's hands left Rhodes' shoulders. "What the hell?"

"Sam told you right? I don't know I just assumed you knew because you always acted like you hated me. And then, I don't know, I thought you were gonna kiss me just then," Rhodes said timidly.

"Woah. Again what the hell? This isn't how it's supposed to go," Bucky said.

"It's not?" Rhodes said, sincerely upset.

"I mean you're totally awesome, Rhodes! You are. I just acted like I hated you because I thought you were in love with Sam."

Rhodes scoffed. "What? Come on. Sam's great. But Steve's the one that's in love with Sam I'm pretty sure."

Bucky froze.

"Steve. In love. With Sam."

"Um, yes? I mean, gathering from what Sam's told me. They've kissed a couple of times."

"You're fucking joking."

"Joking I am not, Barnes."

Bucky felt deflated due to a combination of breaking Rhodes' heart, which he can admit to himself now doesn't deserve to be broken ever, and because now he has to set things straight with Steve of all people. Bucky hugged Rhodes, who hugged him back, and he left that bathroom earlier than he had originally planned feeling both elated and riled up.

\--

"Stay away from Sam, Steve," Bucky said. He earned groans from many people around him, given that of all the times he could've chosen to have an aggressive negotiation with Steve, it was in the busiest hallway filled with people making their transit between second and third period.

"Buck, I have no idea what this is about but please let it wait and let me just get to my extension class in peace. It's the only class I might not fail," Steve said.

Bucky moved when Steve moved, and Steve sighed in frustration, giving Bucky a very pointed look.

"Stay away from Sam," Bucky repeated.

"Sam's my best friend," Steve said. He attempted to sidestep Bucky, who was quick on his feet and blocked Steve's passage like he could sense his next move before Steve even could, as if they were on the field and Steve was on the opposing team.

"Best friends don't kiss each other," Bucky challenged.

"Shh. God, Bucky. No one knows Sam and I kissed each other. Who even told you?" Steve whispered.

"Rhodes told me. Because Sam told him. I won't repeat my demand."

"Oh my god, Buck. Please let me go."

"So you're Sam's boyfriend?"

"I'm not Sam's anything. We did it to experiment. Experimenting is over. If you wanna have at Sam, then have at him. Be my guest. But from what he's told me you're really annoying."

Bucky finally allowed Steve to brush past him. Bucky remained alone in the middle of the hallway, dejected despite Steve's approval to "have at" Sam. Later a teacher finally reprimanded Bucky for standing there and he was summoned to math. Math was one of the only classes Bucky shared with Sam, and he trudged his way over there ready to face the music.

\--

In math, Bucky leaned closer to Sam, who sat beside him taking notes.

"You'd tell me if you were gay right?"

"Jesus, man!" Sam said and whacked Bucky in the arm. The teacher whirled around and eyed them both. Sam apologised.

When the teacher turned their back to the board, Bucky leant in again and said, "Because I'm really fucking gay, Sam. Like ultra gay."

"I really just wanna learn," Sam begged.

"That's really hot, Sam."

"Are you boys alright?"

Before them stood like a lumbering shadow their math teacher, standing so close to their table that Bucky could glance upwards and be facing the deep dark caverns of his nostrils, overgrown with grey nose hairs.

"Sam was just explaining something to me," Bucky said, which earned him a sigh from Sam.

"It's usually the other way around," the teacher said. "But he wouldn't have to be explaining anything to you if you were paying attention in the first place."

He turned his back to their table and continued writing on the board, explaining theory here and there.

This time, Sam leaned towards Bucky.

"Do you really think I'm hot, Barnes?" Sam asked.

Bucky twisted his whole body to face Sam's, unabashedly giving himself to Sam in a single gesture that was neither seductive nor subtle.

"Yes," Bucky said, nodding his head frantically.

"For once you're saying something smart."

Sam said nothing to Bucky for the rest of the period and Bucky, too flushed to make another move, refrained from getting his attention.

\--

Steve was in their free period yet again. This time his appearance was warranted given he finally found the strength within himself to drop Religion (the class and maybe even the concept as a whole, which is a testament to how much the subject made him dead inside). Steve was diligent and a godsend in Sam's eyes. He was someone who could keep up with Bucky and Natasha's conversations whilst still being able to get work done, a skill highly envied by Sam, who after twenty-five minutes decided it was time to take a break that would last until the bell rang. Bucky nor Sam had brought up the shambles of a conversation they'd shared in math and their newfound tension was observed knowingly by Steve and Natasha, who Bucky had texted on that fateful day about what had happened. In hindsight, he may have over-exaggerated the whole narrative, insinuating that Sam wanted Bucky as much as Bucky wanted him. In reality, Sam seemed unfazed by the ordeal, although it was hard to miss that slight--slight--change in the air when they were together.

Natasha's legs, unsurprisingly propped up on the desk, trapped Steve's books beneath them and disabled him from working, which was the impetus to a debate about whether Ms. Hill would take over Mr. Fury as principal when he resigned, seeing as how Steve had nothing better to do. As they debated, Bucky missed Sam scribbling a note on the corner of his page and proceeding to rip it off and send it his way.

The frayed edge of a paper tickled Bucky's index finger when he went to tap the letter 'F'  on his laptop. The sensation beckoned for Bucky's gaze to tilt downwards to discover the note's existence.

In Sam's legible handwriting the note stated like an accusation of sorts: " _Rhodey told me what happened_."

Thus began a series of exchanges between the two.

Bucky scribbled back: ' _Rhodey??_ '

_'Yes. It's a new nickname'_

' _Do you kiss **Rhodey** too_ '

Bucky watched as Sam paused to read the question over a few times.

' _Maybe once_ '

Bucky's response came quickly, fuelled by jealously and hurt.

' _next thing you know you'll be telling me you kissed Nat_ '

' _have actually_ ' Sam drew a winky face.

' ** _WOW_** ' Bucky practically carved into the paper, hard enough to rip through it. ' _you'll kiss everyone else but me huh_ '

Sam laughed quietly at the response and then hid the piece of paper in his book. To Bucky's dismay, the exchanges ended there.

\--

Bucky took an emergency bathroom break during Business (again). He had been making laps from one wall to the other when Sam appeared. Sam only nodded at him and Bucky was too starstruck by his presence to make any gesture back.

Bucky, frozen in place, tried to think of what to say to Sam. Natasha and Steve had been offering their advice in the group chat for a few weeks now. Steve and Natasha were always conveniently available to be at the receiving end of Bucky's lamentations even at the most ungodly of hours. Bucky was grateful for this even though he was aware they were only awake at three a.m. to finish homework. The hours between midnight and three a.m. for Bucky were strictly reserved for thinking about kissing Sam, as Bucky had given up on homework long ago. (With the exception of any science subject just because he was determined to knock Tony Stark out of his undeserved first rank position. Tony Stark was first in Chemistry and Biology, which was garbage. He and Bucky were neck and neck in Physics. He was third in Biology, which he was beginning to care less and less for, keen to just let T'Challa and Stark battle it out for first place. Bucky had his money on T'Challa.)

The most important thought in Bucky's mind was Operation 'Make Sam His High School Sweetheart,' which he only had a few months left to enact. Steve and Natasha agreed that Bucky should make a move, but were in disagreement over how he would do this. Steve opted for the traditional 'asking Sam to formal and hoping for a yes,' whereas Natasha insisted Bucky needed to be bold and ridiculous.

"Bucky?" came Sam's voice, which knocked Bucky back into reality the same way a violent shake to one's shoulders drew someone out of an unanticipated nap.

"Uh... Yes?"

"Are you... Watching me take a leak?"

Bucky blinked, eyes apparently having been glued to Sam's ass the whole time.

"I'm sorry, " Bucky said.

"Here's an idea, dude: don't watch me piss."

"You're absolutely right."

Bucky stood still as Sam finished up and brushed past him to wash his hands. His eyes did not move, now fixed on the urinal.

Sam dried his hands on his pants and didn't walk past Bucky to leave when he was finished. He stood there. He stared.

"Do you wanna, I don't know, kiss me?" Sam asked.

This was what made Bucky turn to face him. Sam seemed flustered, or maybe Bucky just hoped he was. He wondered if Sam ever got butterflies in his stomach, or if he ever felt weightless with the pleasure of being in love, and then crushed by the thought of never being loved by the one he desired. He formed that equation in his head, substituting himself as the person of Sam's desires. Based on the way Sam softened and shoved his hands into his pockets, Bucky thought maybe it could be true that Sam's stomach was filled with a gang of butterflies flapping their wings.

"Yeah," Bucky said breathlessly. "I wanna kiss you, Sam."

"Alright."

"Okay."

Neither moved.

Bucky's mind went into maximum overdrive. He tried to dig up those text messages Steve and Natasha had sent him when they'd once spent a night speculating about this very moment: the moment Bucky would finally kiss Sam. In the hypothetical event, Bucky and Sam would share their first kiss at formal under coloured spotlights in a dim hall, bodies around them under the spell of music and indifferent towards the romance between Sam and Bucky that would occur on the dance floor. Bucky would lean in first and capture Sam's lips. There would be no tongue, because Bucky wasn't sure how that worked yet, and it would be wholesome; an exchange of feelings through the touching of lips.

But no. That wasn't how his first kiss with Sam would happen. It would happen in the grimy, cave-like seedy atmosphere of the boy's bathroom, both boys filled with uncertainty and too afraid to make the first move.

They took a step at the same time. Then another. And another, until the next step they would take would be right on top of the other's feet. Bucky breathed in, absorbing everything about the moment. Sam's forehead was moist with sweat. His arms filled out his shirt, which at the start of the year was kind of loose on him. His eyes were wide, bright with a doe-like youthfulness. But that brightness darkened around the edges, where his anxiousness about what was to happen made him falter. His pupils dived down to Bucky's collar.

Bucky, with a shaky hand, held Sam's face and Sam looked up at him. His thumb circled at the soft skin of his cheek.

"We don't have to do this, Sam," Bucky clarified.

"It's cool. We can," Sam said.

Sam swallowed. His hand reached for Bucky's bicep. Bucky flexed out of nerves and Sam laughed, probably thinking Bucky wanted to show off.

"Is this how it's like with Steve?" Bucky asked.

"Do you have to bring up Steve? Steve kissed like a--I don't know. It was somehow the most pleasant yet also the most boring thing I've ever done," Sam said. He continued to hold onto Bucky's bicep.

A quiet washed over and Bucky decided it was time. Just as he leaned forward to kiss Sam, he heard a shrill voice shake the bathroom.

"James Barnes!"

Bucky was then swept away by his Business teacher, away from Sam and away from his kiss.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://bamsucky.tumblr.com/) (hell yeah my dudes I've got a tumblr now)


End file.
